Be Forever with Me
by NxnsxgnorsDxmon
Summary: Jude's life was contrasting her expectancies for hopes and felicity. Until one day Timothy comes out with an unpredictable proposal. Taking their lives in much different direction and resigning from the church.
1. Painful Proposal

The shining star of Briarcliff, Sister Jude, known as the stern, diligent, exceedingly responsible and disciplined nun and head of the mental institution for criminally insane, always faced the black hearted circumstances of the life that had taught her as she was the student, whilst the life was actually playing the role of a teacher. Thanks to the adversities, she was being taught to less trust, constantly keep her wits about the others and the prejudices that might jab her.

As Jude canned triple times one of the riots who attempted to escape the façade though the guards were aware of the rebel, the patient still bended down on her hard wood desk, holding his dragged trousers, exposing his bare bum which was clothed in welts and ruddy tint. Signs of the whips damage. The patient, himself, wore a cunning, wicked smirk across his lips with each canning as she was sickly crazy over the middle aged pious woman, dirty talking to her whilst she overlooked him and was rather focused on punishing him rather than listening to his foul babbles. In the corner of his azure eyes he watched her by the way she grasped the wooden, lacquered cane that contacted his pale skin of his stark rear. He wasn't like the majority of the patients who flinched and yelped every time whenever they were punished by Jude. Even demonstrating hints of apprehension and turmoil. He discreetly enjoyed every time when he was in her office for retribution and earned it with whips.

When the blonde lifted up in swift motion her cane to assault the disobedient inmate's butt, she cautioned him, moments before the impending whip:

"Stanley, you should keep your mouth shut or even 40 whips wouldn't be enough for your rebellion."

"Oh come on, beautiful! I like by the way you whip." He spilled the tea impulsively, vulgarly. Stanley, himself, genuinely relished the moments whenever Jude was taunted and easily perceiving his taunts with ire, conquering her. "You should keep me for a bit longer there since it's your hobby to cane patients like me on your desk. Hm?" The younger man didn't halt with his scoffing as he truly beheld the strict sister of the church as beautiful, in spite of she scarcely believed and it was too oblivious for her, due to the fact it has been years since she was complimented about her looks. At least, she was cryptically flattered by addressing her beautiful, although she wasn't in mood to accept compliments at all especially from rattling inmates, mounting her nerves.

Stanley was a man in the beginning of his 30s with short dirty blond, shaggy hair, sly sapphire eyes and pale skin tone, layering his well-built, still appealing body. He was tall circa 6'1 and he was committed as a patient in Briarcliff less than 3 years, due to his lewdness, besides he used to be a drug dealer. What was driving him insane to bones was every time whenever he was sent in Sister Jude's office for punishment, he relished it instead of huffing and protesting like the rest of the inmates. He loved the sight of the exasperated nun with a cane in her hand and testing her patience. Furthermore, he was attracted to her not only physically, however, in peculiar way which she really can't put her finger on and was beyond disquiet. Fortunately, she didn't find him physically and sexually attractive as much as he did at all.

"I warned you, Stanley! One more dirty talk or taunt, and you will…" She menaced through clutched teeth, canning him without warning though he had expected it and he didn't flinch at all. Moreover, Jude was weary and it was almost in the end of the day. All she craved for was to finish with her whips and to have an extra, good night sleep to calm her mentality and physical vitality.

"Oh, sister! I didn't know how kinky you are and probably you used to be before to…" He was cut off by her when she leant forward as her face was barely an inch away from his, attempting to petrify him in unthinkable way to haunt him for the rest of his days.

"Stanley, I warned you! And you know what?" The blonde was about to resume her sentence until a door tap interrupted her and her hazel eyes glanced at the door, yelling plainly "Yes?"

In the interim, the security guard Frank stepped in her office as he looked down at Stanley and Jude as his sapphire blue eyes were crucially focused on Jude as their eyes met, rising from her desk as she commanded Stanley sternly, cold-bloodedly:

"Do not move, I will finish with you after a minute!" She approached the security guard with folded arms, unable to calm down. "Frank, I have an issue."

"What's it, Sistah Jude?" He questioned dryly and the oblivious circumstance to him was leaving Jude's office door askew opened.

"I think you should take care of this beloved rebel by taking him for a hydrotherapy and then in the solitary." She held the cane yet as she couldn't help as a mischievous smile looming on her face, turned to Stanley, glimpsing him with a scorching glare once again until she turned to Frank back. "I think the whips won't be an effective punishment not only for his attempt to escape, but also for his foul language he uses!" She furthered through a yawn as she clamped with a hand her mouth.

"Okay, Sistah! I will take care of him." In the meantime, the former cop walked up to Stanley as he grabbed him by his wrists, maneuvering him to rise up and guide him to the exit, incapable to escape the security guard's strong hands.

"Thank you, Frank! I truly appreciate it." The nun observed the scenery of Stanley being dragged off her office.

"No problem, Sister!"

Meanwhile, all of a sudden, Timothy emerged in the left part of the doorframe, witnessing how the security guard was dragging off Stanley as his bewildered chocolate eyes were darted to the both men until they exited the nun's office.

"Don't worry, beautiful! Sooner or later, I will be in your office for these hot whips again." Stanley clarified as Timothy's and Jude's faces were all flushed in sanguine hue, bathed in embarrassment and turmoil.

Once Stanley was out of Jude's office as Timothy stood dumbfounded and paralyzed on the doorframe, he refrained to demonstrate more evidential reactions and mimics.

Hence, Jude's hazel orbs were fixed on Timothy as she walked up back to her desk, gesturing the priest to enter in her office and left the cane onto her scarcely adorned desk:

"Don't worry, Monsignor! A lunatic just like the other lunatics."

In this moment, he made his own way to her office, stepping in as he shut the door, greeting her politely:

"Hello, Sister!"

"Oh hello, Timothy! I would like to apologize for this scenery but…" Under the scenery, she meant when Stanley addressed her twice beautiful in remorseless way as her mischievous smile vanished, being replaced with a demure, feminine one, formed on her lips.

"It's alright, Sister! It's important the business is took care off since it's up to you if the whips weren't eventually a solution for his behavior." In the meantime, the holy woman gestured Timothy to take a seat without peeling a word as she revered him as a respected man of the clergy and in general.

"I ordered Frank to take him to the hydrotherapy and therefore in the solitary for what he did."

"Good! Hmm," He paused as initially Jude presupposed he will question her what Stanley has specifically done after he knew right away he tried to escape though the guards were excellently organized. "Sister, I came up there because…" The bashful member of the clergy stuttered as he couldn't sort his mind what directly to say to her as he was promptly aware she will react astounded by his madcap suggestion which he will pose as a question in a matter of seconds. His heart raced, subsequently throbbing heavily in his chest as the intension escalated between the both pious members of the church. "…do you remember our dream?" He opted to readily shift from one topic to another as he didn't want to be drastic.

"Rome?" She said through a little, encouraged smile, shaped on her lips.

"Exactly! The Mother Superior and the Pope!" He stated in velvety voice as he was encouraged to keep on with his utterance due to Jude's smile.

"Timothy, I am just only Jude or Judy. Don't call me Sister anymore, if you don't mind." She retorted, trying to not being brash in her exclaimation.

"As you insist, Jude!" He responded enthusiastically as she couldn't oppress a growing smile in the corner of her lips, saturating her smugness. "As much as the Rome miracle offers us glory and honor, I think…this won't utterly satisfy us, I mean…something chimes me to take different direction in the life."

"Oh!" She cried as she sighed frustrated, moistness pooling her eyelids as she couldn't suppress it, sensing the heartache that enveloped her brittle, loving, warm heart. Jude concluded with the circumstance that Timothy will leave her to work in a mental hospital, crowded with lunatics, whereas he is living peacefully somewhere in the countryside. "Are you planning to resign off the church? Is that your actual plan, Timothy?" She kept on though she abstained from weeping, placing her hands on her desk in uneasiness.

"Not only that since I have a special companion to share the miracle of having a family and live happily after."

The emphasized words special companion sent her in the netherworld as her smile faded on her face, reflecting her grotesque distress and desperation as she was eager to know who was this partner he mentioned and she felt even heartbroken he might have found younger, more beautiful woman next to her and prefer her over his right hand, who sacrificed and would sacrifice everything to please him as she cooked scrumptious dinners for him and they had a platonic, professional dinners once a week, besides at last but not least, she helped him to progress with his dream to achieve it with his success. Their age gap wasn't dividing them with more than a decade as she was a decade his an addition, little did she know what to expect as a response from him in this moment. The blonde was beyond staggered.

"Might I know…who's this special companion of yours with whom you would want to spend the rest of your days out of the church?"

"Oh Jude!" The younger priest gasped as Jude arched an eyebrow, awaiting for his reply at last. "It's nobody else than you. You know I haven't occasionally chosen you as my right hand." She nodded, utterly paying attention to his words as a broad, radiant smile bloomed on her plump, rosy-coloured lips. "You are my rare bird! You care about me and you cook for me, and you helped me a lot to reach up to here with the divine dream. I know you love me but you are hiding it and it's obvious what are you actually feeling for me."

The words that Timothy arrowed her were like cupid arrows, aimed to her heart as it bled pink blood of her fragile heart. She appreciated him and his concept of fleeing along extremely soon though it was just too abrupt and unexpected adventure for her. It was true she loved him because he loved her deeply too. Gratitude, warmness and glee oozed from her hazel irises, goggled into his chocolate ones.

"As you know already me how much I love you and I have concealed these feelings and emotions, due to the abstinence, but I would like to know since when you are like that…you know what I do mean actually."

"Jude, it's such a difficult question! Not because of my goal to be one of the most powerful and influential Anglo-American priests unwed, childless and yearning for power and glory. It's because I know how miserable I would be and I will regret for never being happy but being possessive and revered Pope. My worldview has rapidly changed and I don't think the power will make me happy as much as becoming a family man." He commenced with his monologue as his hands reached up for hers, taking her petite, surprisingly warm, frail in his larger, smooth, his thumbs kneading her pinkies, looking up directly into her eyes. "The reasons why I emigrated there are several: the war, the mesmerizing land that God created, the nature and the freedom."

She nodded her head, affirming his words as she didn't peel a word, sensing shivers down her body of sweetness, pleasure and comfort.

"And do you know what? There will be neither a Pope, nor a Cardinal from the both home countries. I am proposing you to marry me and become my wife, and come with me in the cottage with a handful of acres land in Pennsylvania."

Jude couldn't contain heated cheeks under her blushed complexion, sensing discomfort to question him though her plucked up courage right away, considering it immediately:

"Timothy, have you ever wanted to have children?" The suddenness of his proposal jolted her like a lighting bolt. It couldn't be even more painful if she questions about the children.

"Oh, Jude! I have never thought of having children until I met you and realized you are the ideal woman for me. I mean," He paused as he exhaled sharply. "I can imagine you as a wonderful and loving mother to our children." Then he casted a scrutinizing look at her face, recognizing something urgently gnawing her. "Is there anything wrong?"

"I doubt it you would want to stay with me for eternity if you find out what's the reason." She swallowed a lump. "I can't give you the children I really want to have with you. I am sterile." She confessed the ugly truth as she couldn't handle the soreness of the painful proposal anymore, crystal, icy tears started to well in her eyes, tumbling down her soft cheeks. "Go find somebody else who's able to give you children."

"Shu, shu, shu, Judy," He removed one of his hands as it managed up to her face, wiping her bitter tears of her gorgeous face. He admired her grace even if she was dressed up in conservative, clerical wool attires. "Do not say that! Of course, I want you no matter if are sterile or fertile. We will find an alternative and one day any child might come in our life." He opted to reassure her as he was being optimistic in his reply.

"Let's not forget, we have never dated. We have never kissed. We have always been friends even colleagues."

"Jude, it's doesn't matter because you are perfect to me and that's why I want to resign from the church, and marry you, and live together in our cottage. All I want is your smile on your face and your happiness to flow from you, encompassing you as a rainbow aura." Meantime, he wiped the last tears that gushed down her face as she stopped to cry, besides her heart molted after hearing his words as he was more than determined to leave the church in a matter of hours with her and go in Pennsylvania, where he owned a lovely cottage. Further, the nun, herself, was being profoundly touched when he said our cottage, truly meaning their nest and her home. What made her even more excited was about the children's idea of having them some day in peculiar way though the abysmal, plaguing heartache she felt whenever she thinks about this afflictive question.

Timothy felt bad for Jude when she admitted she's sterile and couldn't deliver him a baby, besides he would adore the concept if whether they had a daughter with her adorable hazel eyes or a son with her precious smile, embellishing his face.

"Tomorrow morning I will wait for you in seven-thirty in the morning!" He declared formally as she couldn't help smiling broadly, charmingly. It aroused her impatience until the morning after when she will pack her luggage in her suitcase and release herself from the moldy, rigid wimple and habit of the church in which she was dressed up for the last decade a half period of time.


	2. Carte Blanche

_Later tonight_

Every inmate was already gathered in its own ward for extra good night sleep as the common room is closed until the next morning, due to Jude's order.

Jude was desolated in her dim light office as almost every late evening as she was praying, holding her rosary beads up, bowing her head. A prayer before to strip her habit off her body and to release her mane of golden curls from the wool, tiresome wimple, hence, hop up in her bed.

The night, itself, was beyond serene and mystic. Some inmates' wails could be heard, coming from whether the women or men's wing wards, in fact, experiencing pain and sorrow, or rather the common insomnia. The insomnia was such an infectious epidemya, diffusing inside the madhouse like plague especially amidst inmates, guards and some nuns as well.

"God, come to my make haste to help be to the Father, and to the Son," She inhaled before the prayer as the blonde commenced reciting fluently as her voice sounded like a whisper. "and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,  
world without end." All of a sudden a door tap interrupted her as she opened her eyes, tilting her head, still grasping the rosary beads, evoking plainly. "Yes?"

In the meantime, the door opened as Frank stepped up in her office, shutting the door.

"Sistah Jude, what a tough day!" The former cop stood against her desk as abided in serious pose as their eyes met, locking up her hazel orbs.

"Yeah, Frank! Even overwhelming for some of us." Jude uttered, gesturing with a hand to the security guard to have a seat.

"It depends in which case you mean overwhelming, Sister." He furthered pragmatically as he sat on the chair, following his favorite sister's instructions.

"Well, Frank, just call me Jude or Judy, okay?" She enquired as the nun, herself, was fed up of being addressed formally. Let's not forget her friendship with Frank was not only stable and potent, but also they were getting along pretty well as friends as much as her fondness with Timothy.

Meanwhile the former cop just nodded, agreeing to call her with her usual name instead of formally.

"Good! Frank, I need to tell ya something which I have determined since today," The former promiscuous nightclub singer exhaled sharply, clearing her throat, placing her petite hands on her hardwood, lacquered desk, adorned with a couple of sorted patients' files in alphabet order with her pair of regular eyeglasses. "You promise to not spread the word all over Briarcliff even telling Mary Eunice and the others about it, okay?" In this moment, Frank nodded enthusiastically. "Alright! After you left with Stanley, the Monsignor and I discussed something exceedingly conclusive. We have decided from tomorrow to sign off the church and move in Pennsylvania, living somewhere in the countryside due to our own reason." She carried on, explaining her motive to flee the church and Briarcliff from tomorrow.

"Oh!" He cried astounded as his mouth was mildly agape. It hit him like an unpredictable storm, shaking off with its lighting bolts the ground. Furthermore, the security guard, himself, didn't like Timothy at all, perceiving him as a possessive man, hankering for power and glory. Nonetheless, Frank forbear to disparage about the juvenile, aspiring priest since he kept his wits about him and Jude, acknowledging how much she loved Timothy and had potent, accursed feelings for him. "It's so abrupt, Jude! Why do you plan to leave the church even this place?"

"It's complicated. I mean…the thrill chimed us to take our lives in much different directions and achieve happiness instead of becoming a Mother Superior with Pope by her side in Rome." She paused as the holy woman inhaled in fatigued manner. "If you know what do I actually mean."

"Of course, I do!" A coy, sympathetic smile honed in the corner of his lips. "It's up to both of ya whether to leave or not, nevertheless, I am surprised, Jude!" The security guard declared as the bombshell bashed him straight away, trapped in the spiderwebs of unaccountable content for his friend, whereas on other hand, he was heartbroken because he should say farewell to her within hours or probably now before the morning after.

Frank, himself, liked and felt inexplicable thrill for the stern nun as more than a friend and boss. He appreciated her as he was her employer and friend, on whose should she can cry on anytime just like Timothy too though it was oblivious for the former cop she wasn't feeling the same adrenaline rush as much as his at all. Jude has never had any redolent of romance feelings for him, even more Frank playing a protagonist in her sexual evening dreams and envisaging his caresses, and touches circulating from her upper body to her lower one and vice versa. In addition to her erotica dreams, she would never imaging the electroshock of his touches and caresses to pleasure her as much as Timothy's ones.

"I know how abrupt it's, Frank! However, I am going to have a fresh start in the life." She proceed with the details, placing her sweaty hands which caressed old, rusty keys for wards and variety of rooms even a couple of varnished, wooden canes for whipping insubordinate patients, coated in dew of perspiring coat, coating them in liquid glint. The rosary beads rested on the hardwood desk. Untouched. "At least, some things in my life will be improved and I will be really happy woman once I move on."

"At least, I am content by the way you think about the fresh start that awaits you in a matter of hours, while," He paused as he coughed instinctively, reluctantly in the same time. "On the contrary, I am going to miss you very much, Jude! It's such a pity it might be our final minutes together before to leave for Pennsylvania." Frank wasn't keen fan of prying in somebody's business, nonetheless, since his friendship with his boss was exceedingly puissant and sterling, he wanted to figure out what were her exact intentions behind her steep, strange decision. "Jude?"

"Yes, Frank?"

"What are these intentions of fleeing in Pennsylvania with the Monsignor after resigning from the church?" The middle-aged man posed the question seriously as a sapient replication was impending to be heard. He smelled something between the nun and the priest which was uncommon phenomenon, besides he couldn't help, anyhow supporting them as a fond bond anytime. He kept his wits about them as he was aware how Jude was enamored of Timothy. Déjà vu was for him.

"Oh, Frank!" The middle-aged woman sighed, opting to sort her mind what she should reply, in account for the words which might imprint in Frank's mind for the rest of his days when he sees the both pious, indisputably devoted members of the clergy no longer roaming around the nuthouse for criminally insane. Furthermore, she might feel guilty conscience once if she intersperse the incorrect words for this arduous question. Her hazel orbs frequently blinking in jittery manner. "I don't want to betray Timothy but we will live peacefully in his owned cottage in Pennsylvania, besides you should guess what!" Suddenly Frank's sapphire irises widened in awe, hardly realizing what his friend was being awaited by her for the rest of her life.

"What is it?" The security guard asked though little did he know he will epicly fail in sampling to guess. In the meantime, he removed his cap to scratch his head, his fingertips tipping his grayish, mildly shaggy hair.

"He not only asked me to come with him in Pennsylvania, but also," Her eyelids were waterlogged, almost joyous tears to stream down her face of sheer happiness. Rare tears which she has almost never weeped ever in her life. Jude sniffled, unable to control her overwhelming emotions and feelings which she experienced today. They were a little too much for her. "He proposed me to become his wife." Frank was pleasantly staggered by the nun's words which melted his heart. On one hand, he was tremendously content for her to flee Briarcliff and spend a harmonic life with Timothy, whereas, at any rate, Frank was concerned for her and endured the commotions of fierce zealousy, cooking inside him. All he's capable of to advise Jude and not intervene in her life as an intruder. He loved her as a friend, of course! He wanted to protect her from the godawful hunches and prejudices that might affect her life, leading her towards the inexorable darkness, where she doesn't belong as well.

Jude's hushing sniffles sailed up in her office as Frank got from the chair and hared up at her right side, wiping her tears as he took one of her petite, creamy hands into his larger, secure, astoundingly smooth one, ensuring her comfort, platonic affection. He leant down as he was sitting on her desk, shushing to the sister of the church:

"Jude, you shouldn't be desperate! I am rather so happy for both of you will escape the misery there." He paused as Jude looked up at his face as their eyes met, locked up her gaze. "But take my piece of advice, in case, if one day something atrocious happens."

"I am not desperate. I am blissful about that." She whispered through swarm of shed tears, sliding down her pale, tear stained complexion. "I am listening!" She insisted to hear Frank's advice, refraining to argue with him blandly.

"Do not allow your impulse to reign your hopes, Judy!"

 _Later on_

As the en-suite bedroom sank in ebony overspreading in the room as the gleaming moonlight dispersed through the tiny wall window, was the sole light source, partly illuminating the shadows that cloaked everywhere, the almost ex-nun struggled with slumbering as the paranoid thoughts of the day after which awaited her were irrepressible not only for her, moreover for her mind. No man had the courage to propose her and flabbergast her as if she was a schoolgirl unlike Timothy.

On one hand, the former nightclub singer was happy she's going to have a fresh start with the man she has longed for to flee the church together a couple of years ago without turning their backs anymore as they were destined to be along. On other hand, little did she know what she'd expect in the future if they marry from now on and be together for years as a couple. She would expect "pink", merry years with the man of the cloth for ethereal eternity, overlooking Frank's piece of advice he gave her earlier tonight since he wasn't fond of the Monsignor at all. Years which are going to compensate of the morbid heartbreaks, loneliness, sorrow and lacking love and warmness. Years she would wish to last for eternity as a candle of light, completely illuminating the darkness where she was trapped and disoriented. Judy didn't think about her friend's advice about her impulse to accept Timothy's proposal and flee together in Pennsylvania, because one day it might turn he will be right and the almost former sister of the Roman Catholic church will profoundly, remorsely regret her decision when it's too late and recall years prior when she earned the security guard's wise counsil.

 _The next morning_

The blonde woke up in the wee hours of the morning, relishing the final moments of listening the chirping birds, jingling hallowed hymns in her ears behind Briarcliff's monotonous, gray walls by storing her belongings and stuff just an hour before fleeing for better life with the love of her life in another state, far away from Boston, where she collected whether wonderful or otherwise horrible memories.

On one hand, one of her best memories she might keep of this small city for the rest of her life is actually her first phenomenal encounter with the younger priest, collaborating along and sharing a remarkable, private Friday coq-au-vin dinners. On other hand, the haunting memories she has already collected from Boston were of her Stygian past. A past of heartbreaks, limbo, darkness, melancholy. Ghosts of the past, roaming circa Massachusetts where she might no longer reside there for good.

She got dressed up swiftly in her clerical attires which she's going to be clothed in for final time before resigning formally of the church with her boss. Her agitation resembled an ordinary schoolgirl's one as she could no longer be patient to descend the mental institution's massive stone stairs with her baggage and Timothy by her side. Her heart elatedly hammered in chest frail ribs, incarnating her indisputable exhilaration as well.

As she was in the middle of packing her garments and paraphernalia, she hummed an eloquent, melodious tune for herself, remembering one of her favorite songs which she used to sing once back in her youth. It was so contagious so that she discreetly relished it, hearing her own muffled hum, diffusing in her en-suite bedroom.

When she concluded with storing her luggage in her suitcase, she tied a headscarf on her head so that to prevent a trouble by being spotted by some of the nuns, who were already awake.

Hence, she fled her old office by pacing up in the abysmal, almost endless hallways of the building until she descended the "Stairway to Heaven", imposing them with such ease by holding her sufficiently cram-full suitcase, her heels frequently clicking and overlooking the hysterically wailing patients, who were secured by the orderlies.

After she stepped on the first floor, the blonde passed through the double front doors of the madhouse, descended the massive stairs, ambling up to the waiting cab of Timothy as he waited for her outside for five minutes. He was uniformed in his clerical attires as it was his last time to wear them before resigning officially from the church by paying a visit to Father Malachi, his tutor.

"Good morning, Timothy!" Jude stepped beside Timothy as he took her elvish, white like vanilla hand, lifting it up to his mouth as he pecked a gentle kiss on her hand as her other hand was occupied with holding a suitcase. The middle-aged woman's face flushed, acquiring sanguine tingles that airbrushed it in brighter shades, due to her demureness and modesty.

"Good morning, Judy!" Afterwards he held her hand, fitting perfectly in his larger, smooth one, ensuring her comfort, fondness and warmness which she hankered to receive it during her years in the limbo. Genial smile flourished on his fresh, youthful face as he locked up her ethereal, brutally honest honey brown orbs. She gave him a coy smile, honed in the corner of her naturally rosy-coloured lips, illustrating her unarguable shyness, flowing from her. No man has treated her as an equal woman by treating her nicely unlike Timothy and her friend and former employer Frank.

Suddenly silence arched between the both pious members of the clergy as the younger man sensed something fishy in this moment. He didn't underestimate the moment to inquire his future wife:

"Is there anything wrong, rare bird?" His smile lingered In the corner of his lips, unable to fade away.

"Well, it's overwhelming. I didn't expect this bombshell at all."

"It's alright." In the meanwhile, their faces approached as he captured her mellow lips in a light, uxorious kiss as it lasted for seconds, shutting their eyes like blinds, relishing the remarkable moment until they broke off the kiss, withdrawing their faces with a couple of millimeters, admiring one another's facial features in awe. "Because it wasn't such an easy decision but since I am madly in love with you," He paused as their foreheads rested against each other, cupping her face in the palms of his mammoth hands after releasing her hand from his grip. The young holy man couldn't suppress the motion of rapidly growing smile upon his face as he untied her headscarf, holding it as he still cupped her cheeks. Admiring her unique grace. Once he removed the headscarf she wore for disguise, her mane of long old Hollywood golden curls descended down her upper back as its flower aroma reached his tender nostrils, toying with them as he couldn't resist inhaling its tempting fragrance. "I am more than determined to do anything so that to be with you, Judy! We should have fled this snake pit a long time ago."

"Better now rather than never, Timothy!" She whispered in velvety, feminine voice, ringing angelic anthems in his ears, soothing him. Swarm of butterflies invaded the sister of the church's stomach not only due to the first kiss, further, she fell even more in love with Timothy after the kiss and hearing his words after the kiss.

"You are right! I am more than ready to resign from the church with you and move on in the life."

They just smiled broadly, radiantly to each other, a temporary silence encompassed them as they couldn't contain merry chuckles, escaping their damp lips.

Jude was beyond flattered by Timothy's final decision of leaving the church so that to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved from the bottom of his heart and more than anything, although the rough years of abstinence and celibacy.

All of a sudden, the broken ice loomed on the horizon.

"Ugh, guess what awaits us before our ultimate freedom!" The almost ex-priest sighed when he thought of his tutor Father Malachi since the elder priest wasn't fond of Timothy's favorite nun.

"I know." The middle-aged lady whispered very softly, blinking a couple of times as the thought of Father Malachi abruptly popped up in her head, anxiety resurfaced in her mind, flooded with abundance of prejudicial thoughts about the veteran member of the clergy who's going to consulate with her and Timothy for leaving outrightly the church. Spending their lives out of the church. Out of the devotional icons. Out of the chastity. Out of the ecclesiastical, rigid robes. Out of the vows which they once solemnly took them, without breaking them in contumacious manner. "At least, he will listen to our motives and we will be finally free, Timothy! I promise."

After driving a few hours up to Father Malachi, Timothy parked his cab in the free parking lot, located next to the other church, where it was encircled by a several of walking nuns and hardly priests.

Once they arrived in front of their target spot, they got from the car as they rambled up to the church's grandiose, tall polished hardwood doors as Jude panted uneasily, exceedingly eager to be no longer sister of the Roman Catholic church, while on other hand, she was tremendously agitated, flummoxed what might await her like a schoolgirl within a handful of minutes when she passes through the ginormous double doors and speaks in person with the veteran holy man.

Her pale complexion became promptly ruddy with each step they proceed to the hallowed façade. Pulsating heavily heart in her chest as its frequent heart beats escalated her self-consciousness.

Just before entering inside the church, they stopped as Timothy inspected his right hand's face, eyeing her concerned as his instincts and mind kept his wits about her current condition. The afflicting perturbation conquered each cell of hers which she possessed and functioned adequately.

Timothy's colossal, creamy hand reached up for hers, taking it into his as his thumb kneaded the back of her hand, looking up straightly into her magnetic, sapient hazel eyes.

"Are you alright, my Jude?"

"I think so." She replied plainly, sensing her heating cheeks as she evaded peeping right behind her how the surrounding nuns looked at the not far from former pious faces of the church.

"Everything's going to be alright. All you need is to relax and hopefully Father Malachi comprehends us." The younger man opted to reassure Jude, emboldening her spiritually and in general, without hesitancy.

A half an hour Jude and Timothy were inside the elder priest's office, negotiating about their final decision as they are formally no longer Sister Jude and Monsignor Timothy Howard, wearing their clerical, sacred titles which they used to.

Initially, Father Malachi was uninviting towards the blonde, due to the fact he knew about her dismal past. Nonetheless, once he heard the both sides why they pleased to flee the church's responsibilities and take their lives in different direction, subsequently he completely understood them as he put himself in their shoes, imagining if one day he fell in love during his priesthood and found his ideal soulmate, he found his urgent, vexing questions lastly answered.

What would he do if he was insanely in love with his colleague though the abstinence and the celibacy halted on their way for these years? What would be his decision when he craved for spending the rest of his life with his ideal partner? Is he going to leave the church for better and a fresh start?

First and foremost, Jude and Timothy were eventually regular citizens with their own rights and the entire freedom which the church restricted them from, besides with a couple of things along.

As soon as they jubilantly left the church, in spite of they were still dressed in their conservative, rigid church clothes, they were beyond euphoric for accomplishing liberty. Liberty from the vows. Liberty from celibacy.

Timothy had wrapped his arm around Jude's shoulder, his fingers faintly tipping the fabric of her wool habit, whilst he had his other arm under her thighs, holding her in a bridal lift as her arms were dangled around his neck, keeping her balance. Sparkling smiles flashed on their faces, due to excitement and the immense adventure that anticipated them.

Nuns still wandered around the church's territory as they unintentionally recognized Timothy, perceived him as a monsignor yet and found for undeniably odd how he held Jude, who didn't resemble a nun a lot as her wimple was missing on her head.

"I am so happy he listened to us and most of all," Jude chuckled raspily, gleefully, earning Timothy's gape as she locked up his chocolate eyes into her honey brown. "We are finally free. No more a sister and a Monsignor!" She furthered with her glorious utterance.

"I couldn't be happier he understood what's to take your life in much different direction." The former priest nuzzled against her nose as they giggled altogether.

"And now what are we going to do?"

"A lot of adventures await us, my future beautiful bride!" When he complimented her directly, she couldn't help but blush and chuckle bashfully, accepting his gracious words from the bottom of her fragile heart.

After Timothy drove off to a cafeteria to share his first real date with the love of his life, he parked in a free parking lot his pale blue cab, opening the back car's door for Jude, letting her to get from the car and he locked the car as they held their hands like a couple.

Once they arrived in the cafeteria as they seated outside, the sunrays dropping below, saturating their faces and figures by brightly framing their angelic, light-colored complexions, contrasting the dark garments they had still on themselves though they were no longer pious, devoted members of the clergy.

As soon as they took seats against each other and ordered for themselves ganache slices of cakes, followed by glasses of authentic red wine and potato salad, their orders didn't arrive earlier than a quarter an hour as they drowned themselves in profound, logical discussions in getting to know one another better. They had diversity of plans for today. Not only their first date in the cafeteria was a phenomenal idea, but also to hike around Boston, just moments before leaving for Pennsylvania and dwell in Timothy's owned cottage, located in the countryside.

They spoke, ate and drank, relishing the moment of being together as they weren't that close since their once a week Friday coq-au-vin dinners as they were crucially discussing about Briarcliff, their business and somewhat personal stuff unlike now as they possessed the freedom of talking about whatever they want.

"Timothy, you have no clue how bloody happy woman are you making now." She confessed sincerely, sipping from her glass of wine, savoring its mouth-watering sip, gushing down inside her body as she thrummed pleasantly after savoring its weak alcohol beverage's taste years after giving up the alcoholism and combating it until she found God and she forbade herself to touch even drink an alcoholic even the vaguest one ever again unless she isn't a nun anymore.

"Better think about the fantastic moments that await us!" He inhaled serenely, seconds before putting in his mouth a handful of potatoes from the potato salad, munching them. "You are going to even much happier than you think, Judy!" He carried on confidently as she bit her bottom lip.

"As you say," She stammered when she peeped down at his dexterous hand that delved in his slacks' pocket until he grabbed something in velvety red box as she couldn't take her eyes off it as soon as she witnessed the miracle, hopefully not dreaming and sinking in the reverie's world. "I guarantee you, Timothy, you are going to be one of the happiest men in this world."

"Since I have thought about this so much," Her hazel eyes escorted his hand that held the miniature red velvet box, containing something cryptic until it's opened and discovered by the person itself. All of a sudden, he left with his other hand his fork in his plate as it opened the compact box, leaking a brilliant, small diamond ring. "Judy Martin, I know how much do you mean to me as a person and woman who cared for me, loved me and makes me smile every time whenever I am with you, and you are filling my heart with nothing but unconditional love and warmness," Jude lost herself in the sight of the proposal ring that glistened past her flabbergasted hazel eyes, her mouth abided agape as her mind froze instantly. Bittersweet, howsoever, heavenly beatific tears betrayed to stream down her face of happiness as she finally waited for this moment to be a circumstance.

"Timothy, are you really," The former holy man cut her off as she was incapable of resuming her sentence, nonplussed gaped at the ring. At first, she thought he was mocking her for proposing her until he was beyond serious about it.

"Judy, do you want to marry me?"

"Of course, I do! More than anything I want to marry you." Then she stretched hand as the ring slipped on her fine, long finger, fitting ideally and suiting with her feminine, brittle nature she possessed. The blonde's joyous crystal tears tumbled down her cheeks. Her heart raced during the proposal's monologue. Consequently, he closed the velvet box as he put it back in his trousers' pocket, enjoying the sight of his content future wife's face and reaction. In the interim, she scrutinized the diamond ring, lowering down her eyes, gasping ecstatically. It was neither big, nor small. It was just perfect. "It's so beautiful, Timothy! I couldn't be more grateful for being part of your life and vice versa."

"It's not as beautiful as you, my rare bird!"

Then she emitted a mere chuckle as the younger man joined her, taking her hand with the ring on her finger and planting a gentle, loving kiss on her knuckles as she closed her eyes for a while, feeling like a Goddess as her heart molted. Jude's initial reaction for the proposal ring was a genuine paradise for Timothy himself. All he wanted was Judy to be fully satisfied as nothing else in this world mattered to him than his rare bird.


	3. Pennsylvania

After their first real date passed in eating, drinking, talking and the most remarkable moment with its dicey marriage proposal, they determined themselves to spend their final hours in Boston by hiking and experience their first date.

The marriage proposal not only molted the future married couple's hearts, moreover left Jude indisputably dumbfound as she acted as an ordinary schoolgirl, who was just invited by her crush on first date and was eagerly looking forward for it.

As Timothy held Jude's elvish, creamy hand as they walked down the streets by ambling and passing opulent whether small or even big buildings, their thoughtful, genial dark eyes were utterly focused on their path and glancing at one another's faces from time to time, factly, either admiring one another's enchanting facial features or otherwise intensifying its temporal eye contact.

Ivory, content smiles hugged their plumpish, berry-coloured lips. Smiles of gleeful couple with spectacular, immense potential of being together, besides highlighting their parchment, fresh faces. Jude's waterfall mane of old Hollywood honey curls descended down to her shoulders, bouncing and bouncing with each dynamic movement and action as well. Their frail hearts, hammered heavily in their ribs, due to the fact, it was their first date and they were vaguely feeling uncomfortable with each other. Uncomfort, not because they didn't know well each other. On the contrary, they have never been that close like before as it's high time for them to take the further step in their still developing, intense relationship they mutually shared along.

During their casual tootle, they were discussing about their impending wedding:

"I have thought of our wedding to take its place these days." The former Monsignor commented calmly. According to his philosophy, the wedding is going to be a circumstance in a matter of week maximun. No longer than a week. Despite his uncertainty, agitation and bashfulness, he considered in a matter of days to marry Jude though little did he know what anticipated him for her reaction.

"Hmm! Isn't that a bit late?" The blonde inquired pensively by pursing her lips in unsettled manner as she glimpsed up at the younger man who held her hand. What she thought about Timothy's opinion on their wedding was that it was a bit late to marry one another days later instead of less than 24 hours. "What about in less than 24 hours?" She came up with a better suggestion, assimilating it.

"What a spectacular idea! I am so sorry for suggesting to do it in a matter of days."

"It's alright, Timothy! You shouldn't apologize at all." Then they stopped as they took their time to admire one another's enthralling facial features as their eyes met, locking up their gazes together. They held their hands yet as the former nun lifted up her sole free hand to cup his chin, tilting his head as her hazelish-brown eyes pursued for his warm, doting chocolate brown eyes. "I know how uneasy you are because I am either." The former sister of the church resumed her utterance in low voice, confessing her uneasiness though it seemed diminished unlike hours even a day ago, when he accompanied her.

"So we are going to marry tomorrow, right?"

"Indeed!"

Shortly after their faces approached as hardly any inch divided between them as she hankered to kiss him as she pressed her soft lips on his, while his mammoth, secure hands shifted down to her waist, gripping her tightly without letting her to go. As their kiss advanced, muffled inward moans were being emitted from the top of their lungs, shutting reluctantly their eyelids as they relished the sealed kiss until their wet tongues commenced dueling against each other as their kisses escalated to ferocious and luscious in the same time. Until her tongue won dominance over his by plunging it inside his mouth, deepening a hex French kiss. In the meanwhile, his long, fine fingers tipped the rigid fabric of her conservative dark ecclesiastical robe, squeezing her slim waist.

Their kiss sublimed them as they felt they were in the seventh heaven. Namely everything else that encircled them as collateral surroundings were solidly oblivious as Timothy's dexterous fingers, that tipped her gown's fabric, she felt thrilling paroxysm, electroshocking her body as they interweaved with the sent shivers down her body of pleasure and sweetness.

One of the first kisses the former pious members of the cloth shared along was indubitably heavenly, feeling like paradise as if they savored its sweetness of the forbidden fruit from Eden's garden.

They less cared what the passerbies thought of the former clerical members of the clergy, who were kissing in public. First and foremost, they thought it was oddly cute, in fact, they resembled members of the church yet since they were disguised as a nun and priest though no longer wearing their saint titles. What it struck them first as odd was actually how a nun and a monsignor dare to kiss, breaking their vows which they have kept themselves devoted to for ages! The cute side of their public kissing was actually demonstrating their love as the passerbies contemplate them with exalted smiles, flashing upon their faces by passing them.

Consequently Jude and Timothy broke off the kiss as they withdrew their complexions with a handful of centimeters, admiring one another's adorable facial features. Temporal hush arched between them, silencing their voices until the ice was broken:

"I love you, Timothy!"

"I love you much more, rare bird! I really regret for not accomplishing this earlier." Meantime his hands moved up to her face, cupping her creamy cheeks in the palms of his hands as he gazed up at her honey brown pools, staring right at her soul. What the couple regretted the most was doing all this years later, although it wasn't too late at all. They rather had a lot of time in the universe to accomplish everything authentic. Everything celestial. Everything that renders them blissful as its sparkles of bliss corrupts their souls, bodies and minds. They crucially regretted for fleeing and resigning from the church years later because they hung the moon, in their opinions about each other.

"Do not regret! It's better late than never." The older woman replied in honeyed voice, emitting a raspy chuckle from her rosy-coloured lips motioned, mellowing it. "I assure ya the extraordinary things happen when it's the right time." She assured him as she still cupped his chin, smiling.

"Definitely!"

Then they furthered with the walking process as they held their hands, relishing its carte blanche that fueled in their yet youthful souls which haven't experienced a genuine love yet. No longer devoting themselves to God. No longer devoting themselves to the church and their kept, solemn vows which deprived their entire freedom to pursue their future dreams of being a family and a married couple, expressing their boundless love and passion. No longer refraining from what they stored up as mystical desires.

All of a sudden, they stopped in front of a compact flower shop as a swarm of flowers in vases caught their eyes as Timothy ushered her to look into them.

"Look what paradise I found!"

"Oh my, Timothy!" She squeezed his hand as she pulled him towards her as she leant her head to smell the white rose's scrumptious fragrance, closing her eyelids for a while as she relished its captivating aroma of the white rose, in the interim the tip of her nose met its lukewarm, soft angelic petals of the gorgeous flower. "It's stunning but this white rose just grabbed my heart." Radiant, merry smile distorted across her naturally plumpish lips.

The former priest couldn't contain a growing smile, sparkling on his young-looking, scarcely wrinkled complexion, spotlighting his bliss of beholding Jude in much different light. Light, which her rare smile was imprinted on her face, exposing its true nuances of her happiness and serenity, besides it was a rare phenomenon.

Her only free hand's fingers caressed its rose's stem in delicate way, evading to touch the thorns as much as possible. Caress, if it resembled a mother fondled her new-born child's head.

"It's all yours." All of a sudden she no longer felt the tender, vague contact her tip of her nose tipped its rose petals as he took the white rose, paying for it and then give it directly to the love of his life. In the meanwhile, she opened reluctantly her eyes as Timothy was paying the white rose for her until he left the flower shop interior.

"Timothy, it wasn't," She modestly held the single white rose in her hand as she rose up, pecking a kiss on his cheek, stuttering as the older lady struggled to utter.

"The bride deserves a lot of presents. This white rose is for you, my rare bird!"

"How to not thank ya! It's mesmerizing." She nodded her head as he offered her his larger, veiny hand as Jude took his, held it. Once the former man of the cloth gave her the white rose, she couldn't oppress blushing face, acquiring its sanguine tint, burying her face in the rose, relishing and inhaling its alluring aroma, flaring her sensitive, versatile nostrils.

"My rara avis, I have abundance of flowerbeds in my cottage's yard. Believe me, they are going to be only yours!" The younger man whispered in velvety voice as he leant against Jude's face as his soft lips whispered a hallowed anthem, ringing in her ear. He couldn't resist her waterfall of golden curls' tempting aroma, reaching nose by inhaling it.

What the blonde felt was actually the sentiment of being special and immense flatter! She has never felt so special and flattered before especially a representative of the opposite sex offering even giving her momentarily a single flower which every lady deserves at least.

Furthermore, Jude was beyond dumbfounded by his kindness and the significance of his gesture towards her. All she can recall was in the first months of her relationship with Casey, she received flowers or bouquet of flowers by him when she felt loved and prominent until he hurt her brutally with his infidelity and infecting her with syphilis. What she felt even was a sensation of melting heart, warming it.

"Aww, really?"

"Of course! I have always wanted to give you a bouquet of white roses even yellow tulips in Briarcliff every time when I came on Friday for our coq-au-vin dinners but it was too risky."

A handful of hours later after their first date by roaming around Boston's streets and spending their final moments in the small city with its galore memories, they have collected together, it was high time for them to flee for Pennsylvania as they got inside the former holy man's pale blue cab as the former sister of the Roman Catholic church seated next to her future husband.

During their imminent destination up to his owned cottage in Pennsylvania's fields of the countryside, the car radio's music was already turned on, entertaining the couple as they sunk in discussions and singing altogether.

" _Hello, stranger_ _! Ooh!_ _It seems so good to see you back again_ _._ _How long has it been?_ _Ooh_ _, seems like a mighty long time._ _Shoo_ _-bop, shoo-bop, my baby_ _! O_ _oh_ _!_ " Barbara Lewis was singing in the vehicle's background yet, while the former clerical members of the church were joyously singing, following properly, fluently the song's lyrics.

"Hello stranger! Ooh! It seems so good to see you back again. How long has it been? Ooh, seems like a mighty long time. Shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby! Ooh!" In this moment, whereas Timothy was focused on the driving process, paying utterly attention though his mammoth hand rested on Jude's knee absent-mindedly, singing in the same time, despite his lack of talent in singing in general. Meantime Jude held in one of her hands the single white rose which Timothy gave her earlier today.

They were in the middle of their destination, a few hours left until they arrived in Pennsylvania at last.

As they advanced with singing, Jude couldn't repress raspy, rejoiced chuckles as Timothy joined her, due to his singing skills which were alook like amateur's ones unlike hers. On other hand, he was beyond flabbergasted of her beautiful voice which she possessed naturally, warming his heart. Little did he know any fragment of her past and from where she did inherit such spectacular voice.

" _It seems like a mighty long time_ _!_ _Ohh, I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm so glad_ _!_ _Ooh_ _!_ _You stopped by to say hello to me_ _._ _Remember that's the way it used to be_ _._ _Ooh, it seems like a mighty long time_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop_ _,_ _Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ "

"It seems like a mighty long time! Ohh, I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm so glad! Ooh! You stopped by to say hello to me. Remember that's the way it used to be. Ooh, it seems like a mighty long time! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop my baby!" The both former members of the church chanted jubilantly as suddenly Timothy stopped abruptly on the red light, patting lightly Jude's knee in a tad embarrassed way.

"You have a hypnotizing voice! You are doubtlessly talented, Judy!" The younger man didn't miss his opportunity to compliment his rare bird by not getting too far with the flattering words that molted her heart.

"Thank you! I used to be a singer in the local bars." What the blonde felt was her gradual paroxysm of his affable words which were aimed directly at her heart like cupid arrows! When she used to be a jazz nightclub singer, the men who incessantly touched her with their predatory, colossal hands every part, every inch of her flesh and blood, made her feel special and loved in a matter of milliseconds as it lasted until the next morning. Further, these men of her sinful past loved her voice and body, subsequently she loved herself, reckoning her body and voice when they did it.

"Oh really? That's wonderful." The younger man optimistically evoked, turning to Jude as their eyes met, locking up her hazel orbs. It's highly doubted he would think negatively of the job she used to work as before joining the church and participate in sacred duties. A beaming, charming smile loomed on his face until his smile vanished in the limbo when he contemplated her grotesque frown, contrasting her stunning complexion with its enticing facial features, accentuating her natural and unearth beauty. In the meanwhile, he recognized into her glimpses in her hazelish-brown eyes, giving him a hint of something wrong which lurked exceedingly. "Is there anything wrong?"

"It wasn't as wonderful as you have imagined my life before nunnery. I mean when I used to be a nightclub singer. I don't want to talk about it." It was way too painful for her to talk about her gloomy past as soon as it was raised a topic. Timothy instantly figured out she wasn't comfortable to talk about her past at all, besides she wasn't prepared to tell him directly about the dark roller coaster she has been through and didn't want to ruin everything.

"It's okay, Judy! You don't need to talk about it since you aren't ready. It's alright to keep some things for later on." He opted to reassure her as his fingers kneaded gently her round, well-defined knee as he averted his gaze from hers when the traffic light's colors significantly changed within milliseconds from red to green, having a limited time, focused on his driving and talking to the former sister of the church in the same time.

" _Ooh, it seems like a mighty long time_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ _Ohh_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ _Ahh yes I'm so glad_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ _You're here again_ _!_ _Shoo-Bop Shoo-Bop, my baby_ _!_ "The song kept on with its playing continuously in the cab's background, jingling in the future married couple's ears.

They carried on with vocalizing as one, unmistakably following the song's lyrics.

"Ooh, it seems like a mighty long time! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby! Ohh! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby! Ahh, yes, I am glad! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby! You're here again! Shoo-Bop, Shoo-Bop, my baby!"

A couple of later after arriving in Pennsylvania, more agitation harvested the former nun and monsignor as in Jude's case was her reverie, already imagining how Timothy's owned cottage with a few acres land and multi-coloured flowerbeds bear semblance to her functioning imagination. In Timothy's case, his train of flustered thoughts made him to wonder whether if Jude's going to like the humble cottage which they are going to share along for the rest of their days or on the contrary she's going to dislike it. What he knew about Jude was that she was into the simple things which could be the best things, in her opinion! They alook like schoolgirl and schoolboy, who were in love and they were peculiarly uncertain about the forthcoming.

"I am feeling so nervous. I mean, I am not sure if you're going to like our little nest, which we are going to share together for the rest of our lives." The younger man clarified, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"It's alright, Timothy! You already know me I'm into the simple things even if it's the merest cottage you own. I will still love it if it's yours, because that's our future home, ya know."

"Definitely, my rare bird! Only ours!" He emphasized the noun ours though he couldn't get over the relentless circumstance Jude's fertility is ceased and she couldn't give him their dream child they have always craved to have, nevertheless, it was way more painful in her case.

"I'm honored!" The older lady whispered in velvety voice as soon as she couldn't take her eyes off the ordinary cottage with a handful of acres land and sea of flowerbeds, conquering her intriguing honey brown pools as a benevolent, mirthful smile emerged on her face of genuine bliss and astonishment. "Oh my goodness! It's marvelous!" Her heart raced when he parked the vehicle, halting directly by turning off the car's engine, earning Timothy's inquiring facial expression, inked on his yet juvenile face.

"Do you like it?"

"Indeed!" In the interim, he got first out from the car by walking up to the other side of his cab, opening the door for Jude, helping her, as a result of his well-disciplined and gentleman manners, being reined and taught by his parents during his early years of his life. "Thank you!" Then she eventually got out from the car as they strolled up to the cottage.

"You will like it even more as soon as you take a look at the interior." Once they stepped on the threshold, the former priest unlocked the front door, stepping aside by permitting Jude to enter first inside his owned property. "Ladies first!"

The cottage contained 1 bedroom, 2 small bathrooms, 1 children's room, 1 kitchen and 1 living room as it was sufficiently spacious for the future married couple to live in such paradise for them. The children's room was a bonus to the cottage, in case, if one day a child comes from somewhere in the former man of the cloth's life to fulfill his heart and his romantic companion.

As soon as the both former pious members of the church stepped up inside the cottage's hall, they toured up altogether each room until the blonde stopped in the middle of the hallway awkwardly until the younger man enquired her:

"I will be right back in a moment as I place this little present for you in a special vase in our bedroom." Hence, they kissed each other's cheeks as Timothy suggested her amiably. Initially, she startled, gawking bewildered when he mentioned our bedroom, in spite of it was inescapable and part of their relationship, taking its further step forward. "And you, my rare bird, you can tour around! Don't be too fearful!" Timothy attempted to soothe her, yielding to persuade her to feel like home in their cottage, yanking the white rose from her hand, smiling. The middle-aged woman just nodded humbly her head in girlish, demure manner, subsequently they made their own way what they are prone to do in this moment.

While Judy was wandering around thoughtfully, all of a sudden she stepped in front of the children's room as it was the sole room she hasn't entered yet. Little did she know what awaited her to see inside. Inside the Pandora's box. Consequently, she took a deep breath, blinking several times reluctantly before pressing the doorknob, establishing in the children's room which will unlock its melancholic mood of her, incapable of wearing the saturating smile of an angel she used to wear before.

Meanwhile her petite, smooth hand lowered to the doorknob, meeting its coolness until she pressed it, freely letting the door opening, lightly hitting the yellow walls, she propped on the Victorian doorframe, contemplating with her hazel eyes the medium sized room which is supposed to be for the children she would have if it wasn't Casey, who deprived her fertility in the vacuum.

Wryness of dew flooded her flimsy eyelids, verging to weep as its crystal tears well in her eyes. Heartache stumped on her way, feeling deeply hurt for that she couldn't give the desired children to the man, she loved more than herself and her own life. Suddenly she commenced softly sobbing and sniffling in the same time to herself, sauntering in the children's room as she beheld a grand wooden lacquered wardrobe, followed by a dresser, a couple of childish pictures, hanging on the yellow walls, a bassinet in the middle of the room until she uncontrollably started grieved as soon as she approached the bassinet. Her trembling hand lingering on its wooden rails, tipping its hardwood, polished material with her frail, timid fingers, lowering her head as she darted her puffy eyes down to the plush teddy bear that seated next to the cotton white pillow. Heartache whirled around her again as she could no longer bear its ache, sensing its honed edges of its daggers stabbing her chest. She just blankly contemplated through bittersweet tears the empty bassinet, already imagining if they had a daughter with her beautiful smile or a son, possessing her hazel eyes, replacing its void.

"Why is all this happening to me?" She whispered quietly to herself as her other hand fondled the teddy bear's soft head, sobbing. "Whether if you are my future daughter or son, I wish you can fill this emptiness and hug this precious teddy bear of yours and be loved by both of us!" The former nun kept on with her desperate monologue, murmuring to herself until she heard footsteps behind her as Timothy noted his future wife grieving over its crib's emptiness, walking up to her. It broke his heart even more when he saw her vulnerable and unable to control her gloomy emotions over the feeling of being a childless fiancé.

All of a sudden, she felt a masculine, secure hand on top of her shoulder, ushering her to turn to Timothy who stepped alongside her as he watched desperately down the empty cote, pursing his lips for a while by looking up at his future wife's honey brown eyes, pursuing for its eye contact until their eyes met, locking up their magnetic stares. Then his plump lips popped up as his other free hand reached up for her face, cupping her jaw as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders.

"I wish I had the child of our dreams to fill this bassinet and our mini us hugs this precious teddy bear of his or hers." The former sister of the church wretchedly muttered out.

"It's okay, my love! One day, we will find a way for a child to come in our lives as well." Then they hugged tightly and warmly, relishing its moment by burying her tear-stained face in the crook of his neck, subduing her sniffles and sobs until her last tears dried and they no longer rolled down on her cheeks. The former holy man rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her and keep their wits about the imminent future that awaited them, giving her a hope in having their own child or adopt their own at least.

Thereafter they broke off the hug as Jude couldn't feel better, thanks to Timothy's heartwarming words as they fled the children's room as he went in the kitchen to make tea for themselves, while Jude takes a quick, lukewarm shower, subsequently changing herself in more casual garments and calm her nerves and her twitchy cells, torturing her gradually.


	4. Be Forever with Me

_Flashback_

 _1970_

 _In the future she'd look, rethinking and assimilating the difference between now and the past. If she thought over her impulse earlier, she wouldn't be there, suffering in the corners of the darkness in the limbo._

 _"Timothy, please stop this!" Jude attempted to evade his slaps as much as possible, trying to escape his venomous claws within moments though his violent nature. He hurtled up to her, taking steps forward which mortified her even more as her heart was ponderously hammering in her chest, while wry tears streamed down her brittle, parchment cheeks as she could no longer bear this violence which he demonstrated today._

 _The blonde wasn't capable of sprinting even be as quick as possible until another slap was smacked across her face, caressing its slapped spot as his well-defined, handy fingers vaguely imprinted sanguine tint on her right cheek, yelping in pain. Her heartache escalated though she profound was doted on him and must defend herself against the physical violence she experienced, anguishing her._

 _"Darling, think a bit about us and our baby girl!" The former woman of the cloth cried out loud in agony, gritting her teeth as she abided stoic, although her lack of physical strength to and she wasn't a keen fan of physical violence at all. "Do you remember how much you changed my life with our little precious princess? How about by the way you touched and caressed me?" Instead of hearing his verbal response, his slaps whirled around them until she bewailed in sore pain, unable to persuade him to him._

 _"Ouchh! At least, one man would notice his wife's pain and suffer. But a monster won't," She stammered, struggling with uttering a syllable since she verged to curl up in ball on the tilled kitchen flooring. Then he grabbed her relentlessly by her mane of old Hollywood honey curls, tugging her by dragging her towards him for another slap as she covered her face in ashamed manner, her puffy, reddish eyes producing bitter tears. "Ouchh! Frank was absolutely right. I think it would be better listening to him and not letting my impulse reign my hopes!" The middle-aged woman set free a squeal._

 _"Do not allow your impulse to reign your hopes, Judy!"_

 _The desperate blonde recalled ideally her old friend's advice, remembering the wisdom in its words, while their adopted daughter watched in horror under the kitchen table the brutal scenery of domestic violence. Scenery, she has never ever seen in her fresh, yeasty life as she was child herself yet, besides it mortified the nonchalant little girl._

 _"Be forever with me! For eternity loving and worshiping for better or worse, for rich and poor, for," Jude could no longer bear its pain, curling in a ball, shortly after she bowed on his feet and kneeling before him, sobbing until dozens of unexplainable slaps were smacked across her face, while he just didn't respond to her words and pleas._

 _Nowadays_

 _1964_

 _2 days later_

 _The morning was embraced by the eloquent, elating songs of the chirping birds outside. In the wee hours of the serene morning, the scintillating sunrays crept through the window closed curtains, blinding the already wed couple's shut eyelids, protecting from the lustrous daylight and sunrays, bathing the room in sunlight._

 _In the meantime they lightly snored as their quiet, peaceful snores sailed up in their sufficiently expansive bedroom they shared together. Neither too big, nor too small. It was just perfect their love nest for the former devotional members of the clergy they shared along._

 _All of a sudden, the middle-aged woman woke up to a muffled, warm breath that faintly throbbed her face and scalp as her unkempt mane of golden of curls was ruffled on the pillow, lying against Timothy's motionless, still slumbering bare body._

 _Meanwhile she rubbed with her fragile, parchment fists her eyelids, emitting a regular yawn, as a result of coming to her senses at last._

 _As soon as she eventually came to her senses, all she can recall as graphic, explicit memories from her wedding night with Timothy, having a remarkable night. An instinctive, mischievous smile honed up in the corner of her plumpish, rosy-coloured lips when she thought of the graphic memories, perfectly remembering the soft, mossy skins contacting without dividing any inch proximity, the muffled, luscious moans, the scrumptious taste of their mouths._

 _Suddenly the former promiscuous nightclub singer heard her husband's stirring up, drawing her attention in no time as he stretched his muscular, stark arms, thereafter rubbing his drowsy eyelids with his larger fists until he opened fully his warm chocolate brown eyes, meeting Jude's gaze and enthralling smile, hugging her lips. He couldn't contain himself as he returned her a beaming, charming smile, flashing on his shining, young-looking yet face._

 _"Good morning, my love!" She whispered in honeyed voice as her lips pursued for his, pressing on his as it sustains for celestial eternity instead of a bleak handful of seconds, blinking in seductive manner as her eyelashes unfurled like wings._

 _"Good morning, my wife!" Timothy said softly, pressing his lips on hers by capturing them in a morning, sultry kiss, letting himself to relish the first romantic moments which have already started._

 _"Mmm, Timothy! That…was," The former sister of the church mumbled half asleep, blinking._

 _It's a circumstance they'd done it especially the night before. Their wedding night was the longest night in their entire lives for experiencing paroxysmal, endless pleasure and felicity which they have never harvested ever unless everything happened so._

 _"Jude," They lastly broke off the kiss. The former man of the cloth echoed inwardly, softly as it rang a hallowed hymn in her ear, molting her heart abruptly, cupping her cheek by caressing it with the tips of his fingers, staring right into her honey brown eyes, radiating sheer glee, love, desire and lust. Glee, which rarely sparkled as sparks into her abysmal, enciting hazel pools. "Judy Martin!" By the way he spelled each syllable of her name. By the way it sounded to the older lady, she couldn't repress a growing smile across her lips, moving up her hand up to his dark hair, running her fingers slowly through its softness, admiring it. She closed her eyes, loving by the way Timothy spelled her name as she was on cloud nine._

 _Flashback_

 _Yesterday_

 _They had such a mesmerizing day as first of all they had a private wedding, consequently, celebrating the whole day in dancing and having an expensive dinner, afterwards having a romantic moonlight picnic with a bowl of cherries, chocolate candies and bottle of champagne under the gleaming moonlight, dropping its nocturnal light below, illuminating partly their gleeful, porcelain complexions._

 _Timothy helped Jude with setting the picnic blanket, followed by the bowl of mouth-watering cherries, sweet champagne, empty, unused glasses for champagne and chocolate candies._

 _"It's going to be a fun night, darling!" The blonde giggled girlishly, demurely as she laid the bowl of cherries and the bottle with alcoholic beverage on the picnic blanket, embellishing it until they sat freely, effortlessly._

 _"For sure, my rara avis!" Timothy couldn't agree more with her words as soon as they sat on the picnic blanket, sitting alongside one another and pouring champagne in their glasses as Timothy helped with by grasping the bottle, while Jude held considerately each glass, releasing a husky, jubilant chuckle, escaping her lips._

 _"Our night!" When the former priest left the bottle of champagne aloof, then he took his glass of champagne as they raised a toast, consequently clinking together and sipping the alcoholic beverage and afterwards holding its glass._

 _"I have always waited for this to happen and look at us! It happened!" The former woman of the cloth emphasized happened, resting her head on his broad, muscular shoulder, relishing its moment of being safe and loved in Timothy's company. Then the recently married couple couldn't help but giggle merrily along._

 _"To be honest, I've never imagined such a life. Especially as a holy man."_

 _"Oh really?" Another husky cackle escaped her damp lips, chewing her bottom lip as she looked up at him. "You have always thought the church, God and took vows are going to be your life."_

 _"Exactly! Until I didn't meet somebody special."_

 _"Let me guess who's that somebody special!" The blonde played it silly as she was blandly inquisitive who he meant that somebody special, despite she already knew its answer to her rhetoric question. Temporal silence arched between them. "Isn't the person whose head is resting on your shoulder?"_

 _"Definitely! It's you, rare bird!" Thereafter they burst out laughing, could no longer contain its lack of fun and joy dominating in their romantic, evening atmosphere. "You changed my life on 360 degrees. You are the woman, who hung the moon since I first laid eyes on you. You broke the curse which I was being down with for ages, when I loved more God and the church than myself unless you appeared in my life. Just like that! Everything drastically changed for better." The younger man declared softly as he dangled an arm around her shoulder, rubbing her upper back, enjoying its moment of desolation by spending it with nobody else than the love of his life by his side and celebrating their wedding night. Meantime the older woman listened to him with ginormous enthusiasm, without peeling a single word during his speech._

 _"I'm honored for changing your life, sweetie!" He planted a kiss on her temple as she closed her eyes for a while, gulping in a single sip the champagne. "I couldn't be happier to be part of your life and most of all changing it." She repeated, lowering her voice in sensual way, inhaling sharply. "Because you changed my life either." The blonde furthered, confessing._

 _"I'm glad to hear it. I cannot imagine a world without you, Jude!" In the interim, the former nun couldn't resist its growing, smug grin, kissing her lips. "I'd like to share abundance of future plans that have to do with us. Part of our paradise as well!"_

 _"Our honeymoon," She stammered, listing one of the cardinal plans at first, pausing by grabbing immediately the champagne's bottle, filling her glass to the half until she left its bottle sitting motionlessly on the picnic blanket aloof. "Where it shall take its place?"_

 _"It's going to be on Martha's Vineyard as well. Just two of us will be there for a few weeks and throughout we will adopt a lovely child, welcoming It in our little family."_

 _"Aww! Ya don't know how it fills my heart with such bright hopes and happiness." When Timothy mentioned about adopting a child, bittersweet tears betrayed to gush down her smooth, mossy cheeks as its dew pooled her frail eyelids. Even if she didn't have the opportunity to bear his children, at least, they would adopt one and have it as their own. On one hand, it broke her heart when the heartaching topic was raised. The children's one. On other hand, she couldn't be more tremendously gleeful to adopt one child and perceive it as her own, and only her own. "I'd love to adopt a child and teaching and loving it as our own!"_

 _"It's going to be such a honor to be parents together whether if the child is all ours or otherwise adopted!"_

 _What the both lovers felt was humongous desire and lust, besides they no longer tolerated its lack of caresses, touches and kisses though it was their night. The whole night was all theirs. Marrying the night!_

 _As the night progressed, they spent in long, rational discussions, drinking and eating as they almost emptied the bottle of champagne as its inebriety conquered their bodies, commanding them to lose rational control over their actions though not radically. Fortunately, they somewhat controlled their words, in spite of the alcohol that commanded them, prevailing their physical and mental tough stamina which they possessed when its sobriety oozed from them until they didn't booze with the champagne._

 _All of a sudden, Jude gripped him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards her as she got from the picnic blanket, seductively smirking at him by leaning against his ear, whispering in tempting manner:_

 _"I'm no longer patient for the bedroom time!"_

 _"Me either!" He let her grip commanding him as he got from the picnic blanket either, following her._

 _As the younger man escorted her, she as ferociously as a beast pressed her soaked lips on his soft ones, sealing them in a silencing, bombshell kiss as she walked backwards until she stumbled accidentally on a rock, verging to thump backwards on the grassy ground as Timothy was in charge and took control over everything, clasping an arm around her waist as the other one was under her legs, lifting her up in a bridal lift up to the front door, without interrupting the kiss as she giggled in coy way during the unintentional accident as her heart briskly raced in her ribs._

 _"It's okay. I got you, my rara avis!" The former man of the cloth whispered between the kiss without interrupting it bluntly, recklessly as the former holy woman shut her eyelids as soon as he carried her up to inside, opening the front door without releasing her from its lift and breaking off the kiss._

 _Once he stepped up in the hall by shutting the front door, then he headed up towards their bedroom, whereas carrying her yet in his protective, doting arms until they established in the bedroom, throwing her onto their king-sized bed which was decorated with scarlet velvet blanket and dark red cushions._

 _As soon as Jude was lying in the middle of the bed, she ushered him with a forefinger to come up to her as he followed her instructions without arguing, nor protesting. When he was on top of her, the former priest ran slowly his mammoth hands considerately from her shoulders to her biceps, caressing them as she set free soft moans with still shut eyes as their kisses grew aggressive when their tongues commenced dancing against one another, relishing its sweet, intoxicating moment they shared altogether._

 _Meanwhile her agile, petite hands cupped his face until one of her hands lowered to his shirt, working on his buttons by undoing them slowly, gradually until she plugged her tongue inside his mouth, deepening into a French kiss as thereafter one of his hands moved to her hair, running his fingers through her gorgeous long wavy golden hair, admiring its softness, while his other hand was clumsily unzipping her dress until she unclasped his shirt's buttons as his shirt unpeeled his skeleton, momentarily pooling the floor. She ran her hands up and down his toned chest, opening partly her eyelids to lock up his stare. Muffled, soft moans escaped their lips until she felt his nervousness and lack of sexual experience as she pressed the palm of her hand on his chest, sensing its rapidly, vigorously pulsating heart. He was bashful and insecure when it came up to intimacy and little did he know how to pleasure a woman as he didn't want to disappoint Jude, making her to feel down at all. Meantime Timothy offered her a modest smile, formed on his lips as they broke off the kiss, admiring each other's faces._

 _"Don't worry, sweet boy! I promise I'll make you feel real good." She whispered in sultry manner, sniggering as she moved up one of her hands to his chestnut hair, running her fingers through it, whereas her other hand was cupping his jawline. In the meantime, he ran delicately his hands once again up and down her bare back as he leaned peppering with feather and sensual kisses the bareness of her back, admiring its creaminess, whilst she cocked her head forward, arching her neck by releasing dozens of moans together, gave him an access from her neck to her upper back._

 _Nowadays_

"Did I make you feel real good, sweetheart? Hm?" She mumbled, gazing up at his chocolate brown eyes, staring right at his soul as she ran lightly her fingers from his jaw down up to his broad, muscular shoulders.

"Indeed! Of course, my love!"

"I'm honored." He moved up his hand to her wild, ruffled mane of old Hollywood honey curls, combing its tresses and admiring its delirious softness in the same time, blinking partly their drowsy eyes, inhaling inwardly.

Shortly afterwards, she positioned herself on top of him as her bare breasts were pressed on his chest, feeling beneath his toned, milky chest her erected nipples as she cupped his face in the palms of her hands, pursuing for his electrifying, enticing deep pools that drove her insane. An ivory smirk sparkled on her face as he returned back the smile she gave him.

"Be forever with me! For eternity," The blonde commenced to recite as her lips crashed with his, while his arms were thrown around her stark, slim waist, pulling her towards him.

"Loving and worshiping for better or worse," The younger man kept on, adding additional words to their reciting as he shifted down his hands from her slender waist to her buttocks, squeezing them in the palms of his strong hands.

"For rich and poor, for the sake of our happiness and sadness, be forever with me!" Judy concluded the sentence between the kiss as their kiss progressed as their soaked tongues began dueling against one another until his won its domination over her, deepening the kiss as his tongue was put inside her mouth, running her fingers vigorously through his chestnut hair, hence, gliding slowly, gradually from the nape of his silky neck to his muscly shoulders as he slithered his lips from hers until they peaked sluggishly to her neck, enjoying the eternal fountain of pleasure as their mellow moans and groans levitated in their love nest.

"Be forever with me, Timothy!' She threw back her head, arching her neck as they genuinely adored this moment of immense pleasure, sealing their brittle souls as she felt his soft, luscious lips peppering with light, loving kisses her neck and then using technically his teeth to nibble the silken skin of her neck.


End file.
